1. Field of Application
This invention relates to dental articulators; and more particularly to a method and apparatus for removably affixing a dental model to the dental articulator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dental articulators are widely used today in the fabrication and servicing of artificial teeth or dentures as they are more commonly known; and otherwise for dental restoration work. Such work is usually performed by skilled dental artisians and is tedious, arduous and very time consuming. Obviously, it is much easier, and absolutely essential, for the dental artisian to work with a dental model of his patient rather than directly in the patient's mouth; except for final fittings and adjustments.
To allocate an articulator for each dental model would require not only an unduly large number of articulators; but would necessitate tying up a lot of funds in the unnecessary duplication of equipment. In addition, space is expensive and the storage of the articulator with each dental model set must increase the amount of storage space required in the dental lab or office.
Some prior art articulators, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,475 issued on Dec. 19, 1944 to I. Klein for Dental Mounting Service and in U.S. Pat. No. 2,629,929 issued on Mar. 3, 1953 to C. Levine, et al., for Mounting For Artificial Dentures provide apparatus for separating the dental model from the articulator, and for properly replacing same. As such one articulator can serve many dental models. However, each of these systems requires the use of plaster molding to secure the plate to the articulator; and a relatively complex system of aligning apertures, lugs, threaded securing elements and the use of securing pins that have to be inserted through small holes in tight places. All of this is tedious and cumbersome. In addition plaster cracks and falls away to possibly loosen the bond between the plate and articulator bow and to distort the aligning apertures; while holes may fill up with plaster and be difficult, if not impossible to clean out.
Other prior art approaches to the problem utilize a mounting plate which is secured to the dental model and which has locating apertures and/or lugs, that co-operate with corresponding apertures or lugs on the articulator; as well as an internally threaded aperture which receives an externally threaded number carried by the articulator. Such mechanisms are exemplified by the showings in U.S. Pat. No. 3,123,914 issued on Mar. 10, 1964 to A. J. De Pietro for Mounting Plate; U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,289 issued on Aug. 7, 1973 to Niles F. Guichet for Centric Relating Device; U.S. Pat. No. 3,965,576 issued on June 29, 1976 to Melbourne D. Eveland for Dental Apparatus and Method; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,271 issued on Sept. 30, 1975 to Henry J. Derda for Dental Articulator. All of these still require locating pins and apertures with their aforementioned shortcomings, at least one internally threaded bore and a correspondingly externally threaded member. Damage to the threads of either member, the accumulation of plaster on the threads and loss of the externally threaded member all dictate against the purported value of this type of apparatus and system.